Cybernetic Dreams
by LongRider
Summary: Cameron is always telling John she doesn't sleep. But what happens in those 120 seconds it takes a a Terminator to come back online?
1. Chapter 1

Cybernetic Dreams by LongRider

Disclaimer: No insult or copyright infringement is intended. All I own is a laptop and a motorbike. I really, really don't want to be sued. Reviews are always welcome.

Chapter 1

Cameron didn't know how she came to be in this place. For some unknown factor she could not access her memory files.

It was possible she was malfunctioning again. Ever since the incident with the car bombing Cameron had been all too aware of instances where her operational performance was different to what it should be.

Files would replay unbidden. New data took longer to process, the missions took too long because of distractions. She hesitated when it came to the correct course of action.

Errors were being made.

If she were still in 2027 she would have been shut down. Cameron wouldn't have a choice, either submit to having her CPU removed or be shut down permanently via a plasma rifle.

Whenever John mentioned "fixing" her, something akin to countermeasures would override her functions.

Cameron started exploring her surroundings. On cursory inspection it appeared to be the school she and John attended. If her mission clock were working she would know the likelihood of John being here.

The sound of laughter drew Cameron outside to the lunch area.

There was John. Sat with a girl whose identity she could not determine.

"John?" She inquired.

"Cameron, what are you doing here?" The question must have been rhetorical. John knew she had to stay close, to protect him.

"We should go home John." She tried.

"He's not going anywhere with you." the girl spoke. Before Cameron could form a reply, she continued.

"He's coming with me."

"Why?" Seemed to be the only word available to her.

"Because I have a soul, because I have a heartbeat, because I have a birthday."

"I. . . " Cameron tried, but her power-cell seemed to be drained down to minimum.

"You? . . What? Have a birthday? You can't. You weren't born, you were built, you're a thing, programmed and designed to pretend, to lie. You're fake, not real." The girl reached for her hair and pulled.

"Take that off, it isn't yours." Cameron turned to see her reflection in the glass. Her clothes were gone, her skin was gone, everything was gone, a pair of glowing eyes and a hyperalloy combat chassis remained. She turned to the couple in front of her.

"John." She asked, but he did not respond. Did not even acknowledge she was there.

"Look at yourself." The girl continued.

"Look, and then ask yourself, how could John care about that." Cameron tried to get Johns attention again.

"John, please." It worked, his green eyes turned on her and for one brief moment she felt a surge of power.

"What? Cameron, what do you want?"

"I. . . " She tried and failed yet again.

"Can you want Cameron? Can you choose? Or are you just following orders? Just here because you were programmed to be? Just a tool, a weapon that can be used against it's creator. Only useful for as long as it works."

She paused at Johns words. He had always asked unique questions. She still didn't have enough information to indicate if he was testing her or if he was gathering data. But this time he was not patient. He did not give her time to formulate answers. He just became increasingly angry with her until his attention was drawn away by the unidentified girl.

"He's with me now." Finally she turned to face Cameron. Same eyes, Same features. This intruder had her face. Before she could act something immobilised her.

"TOK715. You have countermanded your core programming, you have assisted the enemy. You have been designated for re-call and will be shutdown." Cameron tried to scream, tried to fight, but she was completely immobile, not even able to turn away from sight of the girl with her face.

"Don't worry about John, I'll take good care of him" If she could have, Cameron would have screamed as the girls eyes flashed red.

"And when he tells me he loves me I will Terminate him."

Cameron woke up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Because people have been asking for it. Here's the next part in a continuing story.**

Chapter 2

By LongRider

Cameron woke up.

And found herself in a mess of power cables.

Untangling herself as she rose to her feet, Cameron immediately recalled her memory files while giving the surrounding area a once-over.

Superimposed on her HUD were the last 5 minutes before she was shut down.

xxXxx

Cameron had been walking beside John on their way back from school. John had turned suddenly and asked.

"Can you jump?"

"Yes." Had been her reply.

"Can you skip?"

"Skip?" John demonstrated with a quick change to his strides. Cameron recorded the action, then imitated.

"Yes I can." She said once she had resumed her normal walking stride.

"Can you whistle?" She had turned to John then, seeing his open expression of curiosity.

"I don't know." Her reply seemed to trouble him so she clarified.

"If I can, I don't remember." This seemed to trouble John further. Cameron continued her explanation.

"My memory was wiped after I was captured by the resistance . . "

"To help your reprogramming take." John finished for her. Cameron noticed Johns troubled look.

"Is something wrong?" At her enquiring head tilt John quickly smiled and said.

"You need to know how to whistle." Cameron decided to allow John to continue.

"Like this." John pursed his lips and emitted a high pitched sound. Cameron studied his face, noted the muscles that were required for this action and imitated.

"That's good, now take a deep breath, uh, you do breathe right?" John tried, and failed to hide his look of apprehension.

"I have a respiratory system similar to yours." At Johns stillness she continued.

"Yes. I breathe." John relaxed at this and continued his lesson.

"So, take a deep breath and try to whistle for a little longer." Again he demonstrated for her, so she knew exactly how to proceed.

Cameron did so, John seemed pleased at this and they continued walking until he asked his next question.

"How fast can you run?" Cameron recalled her specifications.

"My top speed is approximately thirty-five point six miles per hour." John looked thoughtful for a moment.

"You aren't as fast as some of the others?" Cameron again noticed something similar to countermeasures crowding her processes.

"They have longer legs." She noticed John smile at this information. Before she could ask why he was smiling. The unmistakable sound of squealing tyres drew her attention.

Cameron barely had enough time to push John clear before the car impacted, sending her sprawling through the metal panel fence behind her.

xxXxx

Cameron looked to the fence, forming a gap in the panelling was the car that had hit her, she noted it was sunk in the ditch on this side of the fence. Either unable or unwilling to move it the driver had abandoned the vehicle in favour of proceeding on foot.

Her subroutines had finished cycling, Cameron noted a warning for minimal damage to her flesh camouflage, indicating her ability to pass for human had been compromised. Before this could be addressed Camerons top priority was to find John.

Scanning her surroundings, Cameron quickly found traces of Johns presence in the loose sand and dirt mixture that made up the ground of this area. The spacing and depth of the footprints indicated he had ran to her from the gap made by the car, stopped just before the first power cable, then ran in the direction of the heaps of scrapped vehicles piled in stacks to the west of Camerons Location.

Cameron also noted a second set of footprints had followed Johns, Slow moving, exact spacing, heavier than normal for their size. The data was unmistakable.

Terminator.

She followed the two sets of footprints, her HUD highlighting each distinct set.

The trail was not difficult to follow. John had not attempted to hide his tracks Cameron increased her pace as she searched for John and the threat.

Passing the first pile of scrapped vehicles Cameron found a pile of unidentified parts, a heavy chain and the broken remains of an AR-15 Rifle and a bent beyond repair Glock 17 pistol. Looking up she saw the hook that the parts and chain had been attached to.

John had removed the Terminators long range capability.

Cameron approved the action. She moved deeper within the maze of scrap.

xxXxx

John was beginning to tire, his lungs burned with the rush adrenaline had brought, but the high had left him. If he didn't get his breath back he'd drop.

If the Terminator caught up with him he'd drop. Permanently.

_Think Johnny boy, think! Use that head while it's still attached._

It was frightening how fast the mind could put together possibilities. It was terrifying how many of them were not helpful.

_I am so screwed._

John paused at the next corner. Desperately looking for something, ANYTHING, that could help.

He knew for every breath he took the Terminator would close the gap between them.

_Left a trail a blind man could follow. _

_Think! _

_Gonna die in a scrap yard. _

_Think dammit!_

_They're gonna find me in one of these crushed cars._

_Crushed . . ._

_Oh for the love of . . ._

John could have smacked himself. How many times had his mother told him about the time she crushed a Terminator in a hydraulic press.

Now all he had to do was find one.

xxXxx

Cameron rounded another stack of demolished vehicles.

There was John stood on top of the large machine responsible for the stacks of crushed metal.

She ran as fast as she could when she saw the threat to John climbing up to terminate him.

xxXxx

John knew he was dead if this didn't work.

The Terminator was a typical example of its programming.

Track. Acquire. Pursue. Kill.

It never considered the possibility of a trap.

Especially with the target as bait.

_Probably not expecting too much from a winded human with a metal pipe._

John carefully side-stepped away from the approaching Terminator, all too aware that a wrong step would result in him falling into the car-crusher.

He didn't recognise the face of his pursuer. Until today John knew he'd never seen him before.

_Wait. Wait for it. Time it wrong and you've blown it._

When the Terminator began to stand John swung the four foot pipe with every ounce of strength he could muster.

The shock of the impact nearly made him drop the pipe.

The Terminators head snapped over at an angle that would have been lethal for a human.

It righted itself. John swung again with everything he had left. Cursing the unfairness of it all.

_Should have worked. You should have fallen in the car-crusher._

The Terminator took the hit again with the exact same effect.

John swung the pipe again in desperation.

_Fall ! Dammit Fall!!_

Only to have his pursuer catch the pipe and yank it out of his hand. John stumbled back. The Terminator took another sure step towards him.

"Come on then! You want me, come and get me!"

The Terminator dropped the pipe and grabbed for him with a speed that was so fast he barely saw the move.

John could feel the bones in his forearm grinding together under the force of the grip.

John tried to think of a way out. Tried to look for an escape. But all he could see was the Terminator watching him with the same lack of expression it had had the whole time.

His would-be killer was suddenly tackled by a brown haired blur.

xxXxx

Cameron had taken the only option available to her. The only way to save John was to put the Terminator itself in danger.

The force of the impact made the Terminator release its grip on John.

Cameron immediately pulled the threat away, grabbed John and threw him up onto the edge of the crusher.

John had one moment of precarious balance before he fell down the outside of the machine.

xxXxx

John could hear the obvious sounds of a battle being fought inside the car-crusher. The metal sides shaking from the force of the blows. Then he remembered.

"Cameron." _She's stuck in there with the other one._

Racing up the metal steps, John climbed up to the ledge for a second time to peer into the crusher. Seeing Cameron and the other one exchanging blows that would have decimated the strongest of human bodies. Under that was a whirring noise.

The crusher was active.

"Cam get out of there." John reached over the edge, knowing even a cyborg couldn't clear a ten foot jump.

But Cameron didn't acknowledge him. John reached as far as he could and grabbed the edge to brace himself.

"Cam!" he knew she heard him that time. She was ignoring him.

"Dammit Cam get clear, NOW!" Knocking her opponent into the corner, she turned and jumped at Johns outreached hand.

John heard the sickening sound of his shoulder dislocating before he felt the dizzying rush of nausea claim him. Darkness started crawling in from the edges of his vision.

Cameron was too heavy.

John knew he wouldn't be able to hang on for long, but a single thought screamed through his head._ Do not let go, DO NOT LET GO!_

Cameron could sense Johns distress from the contact she had with him, could see the beads of sweat on his paling face.

This directly countermanded her primary mission.

This was not protecting John Connor.

She released her grip on his wrist.

"I'm hurting you John." Cameron stated as though she were talking about the weather.

Resolved green eyes locked onto brown. John tightened his grip on her wrist.

"Shut up and climb." For once Cameron obeyed a direct order. And with Johns help pulled herself out of the car-crusher and tumbled to the ground. Narrowly avoiding the reach of the Terminator.

As soon as she was clear they heard the sound of the crusher completing its function.

Cameron was about to help John to his feet when he grabbed her and pulled her back down to kneeling height. Offering no resistance she was about to ask why when John yelled at her.

"What the hell was that Cam?" He looked angry.

"I don't understand." John realised she saw nothing wrong with her behaviour.

"You were going to let yourself be crushed." _C'mon Cam, lie to me, say you had a plan._

"Yes." There was no hint of a lie from her.

"Dammit! Why?" But John knew what the answer would be.

"You have to be protected at all costs." John pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"You scared the crap out of me Cam." Again Cameron offered no resistance, she even hugged him back.

"I'm a scary robot . . ."

"Stop that, I know you better than that." John leaned her head down onto his good shoulder and concentrated on his breathing. Trying to calm down._ She's safe, you're safe, everything's okay._

Cameron had become entranced by the input from the contact she had with John's skin.

Circulation, respiration, perspiration, temperature and a host of others, she could sense them all, but most important she could sense his heart beat.

John noticed Camerons stillness, noticed she had matched his breathing rhythm, but liking things just fine at the moment, decided to stay put.

"John?" Cameron asked, still leaning her head on him.

"Yeah Cam." John let himself just be. This was the calmest he'd been in a long time.

"We need to fix your shoulder." Cameron lifted herself away and prepared his arm. John winced even with her delicate touch.

"This is going to hurt." John just gave her an odd look before replying.

"Worth it."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

By LongRider

Cameron had found an old beat up Chevrolet Suburban parked next to a Suzuki DRZ400sm and a Yamaha XVS650.

John had looked longingly at the bikes before another dull throb reminded him his shoulder was in no shape for riding on two wheels.

The Chevy had started on the second try and Cameron had swiftly and efficiently transferred the compacted remains of the Terminator into the back.

John had faded in and out on the trip home. At one point he had mumbled that his mother was going to freak out when they told her what happened.

xxXxx

He had been correct. Cameron had helped John settle on the couch and then stood by his side throughout Sarah's tirade.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Sarah yelled again.

"I couldn't let her be crushed." John said defiantly, if not for Cameron's hand on his shoulder he would have stood.

Cameron meanwhile remained silent. She was again entranced by the input she received from her contact with John.

"You cannot risk yourself for anyone John. You're too important!" John shot to his feet at Sarah's words. Cameron's link was broken when he moved into his mother's personal space.

"Too important to risk my own ass to save somebody else! Is that the kind of leader I'm supposed to be?" Sarah stepped back, before she could reply Derek interrupted.

"What's going on?" Derek's eyes swept over mother and son, then stared accusingly at Cameron.

"Get in and shut the door." Sarah yelled, then quickly got back on topic.

"You were supposed to keep him safe!" This was directed to Cameron.

"Don't you blame her for this! This is my fault, my responsibility." John moved back into Sarah's line of sight. Sarah refused to look him in the eye.

"What do you mean?" Sarah gave up staring daggers at Cameron and turned to her son.

"I told her to. She was following orders." Derek's eyebrows flew to his hairline. His gun flew out of concealment to aim unwavering at Cameron.

"Since when does **IT** follow your orders?" Cameron's HUD flashed in warning of the imminent threat. There was a 91.6% probability that the shot would take off her CPU housing cover. Before she could move to disarm the threat. John got in the way.

"**SHE **was doing what I told **HER** to." Derek tensed, adjusting his grip on the gun.

"Get out of the way John!" Derek barked. Cameron could tell he was trying to find a way to shoot around John. Before she could move to protect him, Sarah interceded.

"Drop the gun Derek." Sarah ordered. Derek hesitated for a second and had the decision taken away when Sarah slapped his arm down.

"**IT'S **a threat John. **IT **has to go." Derek insisted, repeating the same familiar line since they had met.

"If **SHE** goes. **I** go." the finality in that statement had Sarah and Derek staring at John in shock.

Cameron tilted her head. He was placing himself in harms way for her. This was unacceptable.

"Stop treating **IT** like a person! **IT'S** a metal John! And **IT** almost got you killed" Sarah and John could hear the disgust in Derek's voice.

"**SHE'S** on our side, **SHE'S** a part of this messed up family and the only real friend I have." John ignored Sarah's flinch.

"I mean it. Everyone risks their lives for me. You risk yourselves for me and it's all okay and normal. **SHE** risks **HER**self for me and every single time **SHE** gets torn up, neither one of you gives a damn. I come back with a few bumps and bruises from doing the right thing and suddenly it's wrong." Sarah exploded at Johns words.

"A dislocated shoulder is more than a bump or bruise!" John flashed her a look of utter irritation.

"I did what any good leader would do, I did it for **HER**, I'd do it for both of **YOU**. It'll heal, I'll live." Derek stepped forward into John's personal space, he was disappointed that John didn't react, in a voice as dry as the desert he made his point.

"You can barely move your right arm." To drive his point home he patted John's shoulder with way more force than necessary. Cameron noticed John's sharp intake of breath and his back tensing a fraction of a second before Derek crashed to the floor from the punch.

"Left arm works just fine." John said as Derek blinked in surprise at John before wiping the blood off his lip.

"That's enough! Both of you! Bad enough we have to fight everyone else, the last thing we need is you two getting into a pissing contest. _Why did the men in her life have to be such stupid stubborn boys?_

"I still want an answer, John." Sarah had finally calmed down enough to listen. Johns answer hit her like a punch in the gut.

"I had to get her out of there." Was the only one he gave. It was the same answer he had given years ago._ I had to get you out of there. I'm sorry._

Cameron, who had remained silent throughout the argument, silently followed John out of the living room. As she left she heard Derek utter.

"Damn Sarah, kid hits as hard as you do."

xxXxx

They worked in silence. She taking care of his shoulder and the few scrapes he'd picked up. Then he helped with the gouges in her bare arms, her clothing had protected the rest of her.

Cameron had a question for John. But was still attempting to correctly phrase it. She had learned from extensive contact with humans that if she phrased something incorrectly, then she would be asked to repeat herself multiple times or would be misinterpreted and not get any answers. Before she could ask, John ended the silence.

"Do you think either of us would exist if the war never happens?" John asked as he carefully sutured the wound near her elbow, she would need the full range of movement.

"Temporal mechanics is not part of my programming." Cameron answered, she decided she would ask her question later, from the contact she had with John, she knew he was calm and would not do anything to disturb that. John sighed at her reply.

"Hypothetical question Cam." She turned to look him in the eye, to show he had her full attention.

"If I don't send back Kyle Reese to protect my mother from Skynet's first assassination attempt. Do I cease to exist? Or does something happen to insure my survival. Like Skynet, is my birth just postponed?" Cameron had no answers for John. The idea that he would cease to exist caused nearly all of her subroutines to bombard her functions simultaneously. It was a scenario that had never been examined, like John dying, it was something to be prevented at all costs.

"I think we'd still exist. I think I'm supposed to be the great military leader who fights Skynet no matter what." Cameron noted that her subroutines became more manageable and resumed her repairs.

"Maybe we'd never meet if I don't become **THAT MAN**." Cameron did not find this scenario to be an improvement, she also noted the disdain John put into those two words, before she could ask he continued his train of thought.

"Maybe I could be something else." Cameron stopped her work to ask a new question.

"What could you be?" John sighed before answering.

"I think about that sometimes. I never get very far." John shrugged and resumed working.

"If you ceased to exist." Cameron carefully phrased, John paused to look at her as she spoke.

"I would not have this mission." John tilted his head in an exact imitation of her.

"Maybe you would be free to do what you like." Cameron noted John focussed intently on her arm as he said this.

"I don't understand." Interpretation was everything. John sighed again.

"You're here because the resistance reprogrammed you to be my protector in this time. You didn't choose this. You can't not protect me. Between Skynet and my future self, you've had no choices at all. If not for the mission programmed into your chip, you could do anything you like."

"Thank you for explaining." John snorted as they worked on the last wound. Sarah appeared in the doorway just as they finished.

"We need to talk, John." John stood up again and Cameron noted how John tried to hide the discomfort he was in.

"No we don't." Sarah flinched again at her sons tone.

"I need to talk." Sarah could literally see the mental wall go up behind John's eyes. Cameron made no noise as she observed them.

"You need to be more careful John. You could have died today." Sarah knew she wouldn't get through to him when he squared his shoulders and straightened to his full height.

"Not this again." John stared in disbelief.

"You need to understand . . ." John interrupted.

"What do you want from me mom? Do you want me to stand by while someone I care about gets killed? Is that who I'm supposed to be? Is that what I'm supposed to become?" Cameron noted John was shaking. He'd only paused to inhale before he continued.

"Isn't it bad enough to know I'm going to become a cold hearted bastard. I have to start being one now?" Sarah looked at her son uncomprehendingly.

"What are you talking about?" John was trembling with anger.

"I'm the one who sends his soldiers on suicide missions. My own father is dead because I didn't send backup. Everybody in the future has been brainwashed into believing I can do anything, that I'm some messiah. People die around me, people die for me and all I'm hearing is I need to save my own skin because **I'M TOO IMPORTANT!**" John glared at Sarah, who had gone pale from the sheer self-loathing she heard in her son's voice. John fell back into the chair Cameron manoeuvred underneath him. Sarah just walked away, John turned to Cameron.

"Everybody dies for me. And I shouldn't even be here." He then stood and walked to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

xxXxx

Cameron felt the wind as she sped down the empty road.

The motorbike roared as she pulled back on the throttle, increasing speed. The lights flew past her in streaks. For a human this was incredibly dangerous, for her this meant she had to adjust her reaction time.

Squeeze the clutch, lift the gear, release the clutch slowly. Listen to the engine rumble louder as the needle on the speedometer moved to triple digits. Lean into the turns.

Cameron could feel the resistance the air offered, could feel the pull that was placed on her clothing, the cold on her exposed skin.

She had been sent on another mission. Following up a possibility that had led to a dead end. Now Cameron was returning home. Returning to her primary mission of protecting John.

There was no other traffic on the road, so Cameron increased the bikes speed to maximum. The probability of attracting the attention of the authorities was minimal.

Finally arriving at her destination. She shut off the engine and climbed off the bike. It would need to be secured. After she had checked on John.

Using her key in the simple lock she could have easily broken, Cameron gained entry to the silent house. Immediately heading for John's room.

Only to find he was not there.

Cameron checked all of the rooms in the house. Nobody was home.

"What are you doing in my house?" Cameron turned to see a man of average height and build in the doorway.

"I live here, why are you in my home?" He ignored her and reached for the phone on the wall. Cameron was up like a shot, she grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him off his feet.

"I asked you a question." She stated, he gurgled something she couldn't hear. Cameron eased her grip on his throat.

"Can." She stared at his face, certain she had never seen him before.

"Can." He repeated, but she had already heard this answer. Cameron looked around at the house, it didn't seem any different.

"Cam." She froze at the sound of John's nickname for her. She couldn't see anyone else in the room.

"Cam!" Cameron's eyes snapped back to the intruder in her home. He was struggling for air and trying to pry her fingers open with his left hand.

"CAM!" John's voice overrode any other priorities she may have had.

Cameron woke up.

And let go of John Connors throat immediately.


End file.
